Microsoft Edge users who relied on Collections for saved research, shopping lists, notes, and web pages may need to check whether their links and notes survived the move to Edge Stable 149.
Microsoft removed Collections in Edge Stable 149, released June 4, 2026, ending access to the browser’s built-in save-and-organize tool. Recovery now depends on whether users moved pages to Favorites, exported data before the update, or used a personal Microsoft account tied to Bing Saves.
Edge 149 ends access to Collections
Microsoft confirmed the removal in its Stable Channel release notes, saying Collections “have been removed” and that users can no longer access or use the feature. The company advised users to export saved content or move all pages to Favorites before updating to Edge Stable 149.
The retirement process began earlier. Microsoft’s Beta Channel notes said in March 2026 that existing Collections users would see a banner, new items could no longer be added, and users could export saved content or move pages to Favorites before removal.
For administrators, the change adds another item to the same update-planning queue as Windows 11 26H2 upgrade testing, especially where Edge updates are managed separately from operating system releases. Collections could hold saved pages alongside notes, images, and other saved research items, so support requests may involve more than missing URLs.
Microsoft’s Collections support page says Collections is no longer available starting with Edge version 149. It also says moving pages to Favorites preserves only saved web pages, while images, notes, and other non-page items are not included.
Work and school users can export Collections data for backup or offline use. Personal Microsoft account users do not get the same export path; Microsoft says their Collections content remains accessible through Bing Saves.
Favorites can preserve saved links, but they should not be treated as a full Collections replacement. Users who needed notes, screenshots, images, or other non-page items should check whether they exported that material before the browser update.
Recovery depends on account type and pre-update exports
Users already on Edge 149 should first check Favorites for folders created from Collections. They should also look for exported files saved before the update and, if they used a personal Microsoft account, check Bing Saves for previously saved Collections content.
Browsing history may help reconstruct some saved links, but it is not a full recovery method. Recent Windows file-deletion confusion is a reminder for support teams to separate recoverable data from items that only appear recoverable.
For IT administrators, the immediate task is triage. Help desk teams should confirm the user’s Edge version, account type, and whether any Favorites migration or export happened before Edge 149 reached the device, then fold those checks into broader Windows update and recovery planning.
Admins should set expectations carefully. Microsoft documents migration and access options, but it does not offer a general post-update restore button for Collections inside Edge 149. The risk is undocumented research context disappearing from workflows users treated as durable browser data.
The same Edge release changed Copilot Chat controls for managed environments. Extension and sidebar policies no longer govern Copilot Chat visibility, and admins should use Microsoft365CopilotChatIconEnabled for Copilot Chat and CopilotAddressBarSuggestionsEnabled for address-bar suggestions.
Microsoft is moving Edge toward more AI-driven browsing tools, including Copilot-assisted tab and history features. Those tools may help organize browsing activity, but they are not direct replacements for manually curated Collections with saved links, notes, and images.
Read more: A recent Windows 11 update introduced NPU monitoring so users can see more about AI hardware use on newer PCs.